An event dedicated to the figure of Giovanni Andrea Bertanza, a famous painter from Lake Garda, will be held on Thursday, May 30th at 8:30 pm at the Civic Library of Salò. The event is promoted in collaboration with the Ateneo di Salò and the library itself, with the aim of introducing the public to the recent discoveries regarding this artist.
Giovanni Andrea Bertanza, born in Padenghe sul Garda in 1570 and died in Salò in 1630, is one of the most important painters active between the 16th and 17th centuries in the Riviera di Salò area. A student of Palma the Younger and Paolo Veronese, his works show a strong influence of Venetian painting of the period. According to Professor Sergio Marinelli of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the Venetian painters who worked for Salò had a significant impact on local artists.
Bertanza worked in a wide area that included Gavardo, Valvestino, Castiglione delle Stiviere, and Peschiera del Garda. However, he was officially recognized as the painter of the Salò Community. His works are known for their sophisticated allegorical representations with profound political meanings. A significant example is the extraordinary ceiling of the Salò Municipal Palace, signed by Bertanza in 1617.
Recently, local studies have brought to light new information about Bertanza’s artistic production. One relevant discovery concerns a grandiose ceiling found in the noble Costa-Donati-Mazzoldi palace in Salò. This ceiling features elaborate gold-illuminated quadratures signed by Tommaso Sandrini in 1614 and figures attributed to Bertanza himself.
Interestingly, despite the prolificity of the painter, no autograph drawings have been found; it is hypothesized that some of his graphic proofs have been cataloged as works of his Venetian masters. Some unpublished works have recently been proposed by scholar Andrea Piai.
The meeting on May 30th will be an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of Giovanni Andrea Bertanza’s works thanks to the contributions of art historians Fiorella Frisoni, Angelo Loda, and Filippo Piazza. The evening will take place at the Civic Library of Salò, located at Via Leonesio 4 (phone 0365 20338), with free admission until seats are filled.
This initiative is part of the efforts of the Civic Library and the Ateneo di Salò to promote illustrious figures linked to the Brescia side of Lake Garda, such as Gasparo Bortolotti and Marco Enrico Bossi.
Useful information:
Fondazione Ugo Da Como
Via Rocca, 2 – Lonato del Garda (Brescia)
Tel: +39 0309130060
www.fondazioneugodacomo.it
Italian Version
